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Vorta
The Vorta are a species from the Gamma Quadrant. They are the administrators, scientists, and diplomats of the Dominion. History The early history of the Dominion is fragmented. A myth tells how a Changeling was being pursued by humanoids when it was hidden by a group of primitive tree-dwelling primates, who defended the Changeling. As a token of gratitude, the species was uplifted to intelligence by the Founders, becoming the Vorta as they are known in the 24th century. However, there is no proof for the validity of this story; it is possible the Changelings simply invented the myth as further basis for their status as gods over the Vorta. Another version of Dominion history - one which the Founders have done everything they can to erase - suggests that the Vorta were one of four original founding species of the Dominion, ten thousand years before the Dominion War, and that the Changelings were themselves admitted to the Dominion only two thousand years before the War; the Vorta vouched for the Changelings as a worthy addition to the Dominion and for this reason the Founders chose to alter and preserve the species, rather than eliminate it outright, as they did the other founding species. Physiology The Vorta are distinguished by their pale skin, pale eyes, and elongated ears. They have two genders and reproduced sexually at some point in the ancient past, though sexual reproduction has been entirely abandoned in favor of cloning. Their hearing is excellent, but their eyesight tends to be poor, though they can see better in the dark. They tend to be shorter, on average, than Humans, but are graceful and flexible. Their blood contains both hemoglobin and hemocyanin, and the concentrations of each depend on environmental conditions. Therefore, their blood tends to be purple but may be more red or more blue depending on how oxygenated the ambient atmosphere is. Vorta require very little food and may go for months without eating without suffering any detriment. Vorta also possess telepathic abilities. They can sense the emotional state and general desires of other species, which is helpful in their role as diplomats; within the species, they can communicate telepathically as well, though they prefer to communicate verbally. They can also summon a ball of psionic energy, which can be used to incapacitate foes or short-circuit electrical systems, a natural defense mechanism of the species. Culture The Vorta have been genetically programmed to regard the Founders as gods. This programming can often encounter defects, leading to disobedience or questioning; in such instances, the "defective" Vorta is terminated, whether willingly or not. The will of the Founders is considered so important that it supercedes everything else: one's life, one's livelihood, one's conscience, are all as nothing if they contradict the Founders' will. The Vorta have little in the way of culture: no art, no poetry, and only a small number of musicians. Instead, they focus on the sciences. Their biological - and especially genetic - expertise is unparalleled in the Gamma Quadrant, and they have engineered biogenic weapons as well as the genetic traits of the Jem'Hadar, the Tosk, and themselves. "Natural" reproduction is considered primitive, and the Vorta look down on species who utilize it. They are also experts at computer engineering, ship design, strategy, and so on. One example of this technological prowess is the Neural Transfer Device, a handheld computer drive which can be used to download the mental patterns, personality, and memories of a deceased Vorta and upload that same neural signature into a cloned body. Most Vorta also keep regular memory "back ups", so that in the event they are vaporised or otherwise destroyed, the clone will retain something of its predecessor. Most Vorta have several cloned bodies stored in stasis at any given time, on stand-by for the original's death. When a new Vorta is created, a generation of clones are created at the same time and kept in storage until needed. Men and women are considered functionally indistinguishable; they dress the same and hold the same jobs. Before cloning became the normal mode of reproduction, males and females formed telepathic pair-bonds and mated for life. Children are cherished, and even alien children are considered precious. The species is highly social and enjoys games, collecting artifacts or scientific specimens, and exploring other worlds and cultures: the more foreign, the better. The Vorta and the Jem'Hadar are programmed to dislike each other, but they also resent each other for other reasons. The Vorta serve as the go-betweens between the Founders and the Jem'Hadar, and the Jem'Hadar resent that the Vorta have direct access to the gods the Jem'Hadar serve but rarely see. The Vorta view the Jem'Hadar as dumb cannon fodder and the Jem'Hadar view the Vorta as weak, cowardly, and lazy. As the stewards and the inventors of Ketracel white, the Vorta are also responsible for the Jem'Hadar's sole weakness, another point of animosity. External links Category:Species Category:Gamma Quadrant species